Zello is proud to announce our alliance with Trimble Construction Logistics, a major provider of fleet management solutions including real-time vehicle telematics and voice and text communications solutions for the construction materials industry. Trimble® (NASDAQ: TRMB) has today announced an updated version of their Trimble TrimFleet™ Suite 6.5 which includes the new TrimFleet Communicator with Zello. TrimFleet Communicator for TrimView and TrimFleet Mobile integrates Zello for Work functionality for improved communication, team collaboration, and productivity. TrimFleet Communicator with Zello resolves the many limitations of existing radio solutions for the industry, including poor connectivity, service, chatter, and safety.

With the integration of Zello into TrimFleet’s TrimView and TrimFleet Mobile products, drivers have will increased connectivity. Drivers will be able to connect directly to dispatchers or other contacts one-on-one, or participate in channels with other TrimFleet users. Zello also provides TrimFleet users with a centralized history which records and archives all audio, text, and images for up to 2 years. Additionally, with Zello’s ability to run on any device and any network, TrimFleet users can now connect to company personnel other than drivers and dispatchers.

We are proud that Zello for Work Walkie-Talkie app was chosen as the communications solution for the 2015 Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC). The world-famous fishing tournament was held at Lake Fork in Quitman, Texas during the Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-25, 2015. Along with the tournament, a music festival featuring country music stars was scheduled to be held later in the afternoon, providing fun and exciting activities for both anglers and non-anglers alike. Unfortunately, Sunday and Monday festival events were cancelled due to rain, but the fishing went on, and Zello continued to work even as storm and tornado warnings were in force.

The TTBC staff evaluated many push-to-talk (PTT) communication options, but only Zello for Work offered all the features they needed for this important event:

Superior coverage not possible with 2-way radios

Ability to define groups and separate judges by assigned flights

Ability to talk one-to-one or one-to-many in groups of unlimited size

PC-based admin console allowing admins to monitor all 35 judges on the lake

Bluetooth headset compatibility for improved audio in a noisy environment

History feature with date and timestamp to replay messages when needed

Centralized recording archive to store all voice, text, and images shared during the event.

During the competition, judges used Zello to expedite the weigh-in process. Each angler on the lake was accompanied by a judge connected to the Zello network using an Android smartphone. Whenever anglers caught a fish, judges used Zello’s live voice transmissions to instantly relay weights back to the Scoring Control Center on shore. This allowed staff and spectators to know who was in the lead within seconds of a catch. The instant weigh-ins also allowed the anglers to quickly release their catch, reducing trauma to the fish.

Staff at the TTBC event was impressed by Zello’s inaugural performance at this year’s event, and it made for a very exciting and fast-paced event for all attending. Event organizer, Tim Cook, exclaimed, “Coverage on the lake with Zello is far greater than with two-way radios!”.

With great concerts, world class fishing and awesome activities, TTBC is the place to go for a full weekend of family fun on Memorial Day Weekend. This is the 9th year for the TTBC sponsored by Toyota. Attendance for this annual event averages in the tens of thousands. Proceeds benefit the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. For more information about the TTBC, see these social media sites:

Bill Moore CEO and Alex Gavrilov CTO were recently interviewed about Zello on the VOIP Users Conference Show, April 17, 2015. Find out about the origins of Zello and how Zello affects people from around the world.

Recently, we had the privilege of working with the non-profit group, Pathfinders for Autism, and found it truly inspiring. Based in Maryland, Pathfinders for Autism, provides resources for autistic individuals and parents of autistic kids who need critical service providers. The organization conducts awareness campaigns throughout the year advocating for individuals with autism.

One of their biggest events is the annual “Run Wild For Autism” event held at the Maryland Zoo in September. The event has grown 30% from last year and over 1200 participants were expected this year. Since the event is held over a vast area, coordinators require reliable communications. In the past, 2-way radios were used for communications, but they were very expensive and bulky to carry. Since the non-profit could only afford four 2-way radios for staff members, none of the volunteers could communicate with the staff or each other.

With the increased staffing needed for this year’s event, the group realized they could not afford to add more 2-way radios and looked for a more affordable option. Luckily, a member of the group was using Zello in his work for a security company, and suggested Zello as an alternative. Instead of investing more money on costly radios, they decided to give Zello a try.

Two weeks before the event, the staff downloaded Zello and created a “Pathfinders for Autism” channel. They purchased low cost Bluetooth headsets so they could hear better during the event. After a successful trial, they decided to abandon their radios and just use Zello on their smartphones. For the first time ever, they were able to connect all the staff and many volunteers on one network. Plus, they didn’t have to lug 2 devices around anymore.

“Zello was a huge improvement…It was super accessible, very easy, affordable… I highly recommend it!” exclaimed Jennifer Hobbs, fund development associate. The event was very successful and raised over $52,000!

Most people will agree that distracted driving is dangerous and people should not engage in it. But the fact remains that many people, especially teens and young adults, continue to ignore the dangers because they think “it will never happen to me.”

Without doubt, the single biggest cause of distracted driving is texting while driving (TWD). Here are 4 sobering facts about the dangers of TWD taken from a 2012 study done by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA):

Texting while driving is 6 times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated

TWD is the leading cause of teenage auto fatalities. On average, 11 teens die each day

Texting drivers are 23 times more likely to crash than non-texting drivers

TWD was responsible for 1.3 million crashes in 2011, or 23% of all automobile collisions.

By using Zello with a hands-free device such as the CodaWheel wireless button, you can greatly reduce distractions while driving. The process is simple. Install Zello and get your family and friends to install Zello. Pair the CodaWheel to Zello and mount the CodaWheel on your steering wheel. Connect to the person or group (channel) you want to talk to and then press and hold the CodaWheel to talk. There’s no need to take your eyes off the road, handle the smartphone, or dial a number. Additionally, your conversations are real-time, recorded, and the sound quality is clear.

With Zello, unlike voice-activated systems like Siri, you don’t have to deal with misunderstood commands, training the system, or the frustration of repeating commands. Zello uses your voice, the best communicator available. When used with the CodaWheel, Zello allows you to easily chat with friends and family without endangering yourself or other drivers.

If you are a parent and want to ensure your kids aren’t tempted to text while driving, insist they use Zello with a CodaWheel or other hands-free device. It will give you peace of mind and, who knows, they may even prefer Zello over texting because it’s faster and fun to use. Because Zello is free and doesn’t use any plan minutes, it’s also cheaper than texting or phone calls.

So give Zello with CodaWheel a try and see how it can make your commute a safer and more pleasant experience. For more information about the CodaWheel and other Zello certified hands-free options, see http://zello.com/accessories.

Today’s update lets you share your voice and pictures — instantly. Try it with your contacts now, next month the feature is coming to live Zello channels.

Zello is the best place for live voice conversations. We’ve noticed many update their profile image to add another dimension to a dialog. New picture sharing is easier, faster, offers more control and supports higher definition images. It’s the favorite new feature among Zello team!

Zello Local feature first introduced this June never became popular so was pulled to simplify the app.

Many found the feature and a few started local conversations. But even with hundreds of nearby Zello users listening, the conversations seldom lived on.

Zello is anonymous and only used approximate location, yet many users worried about their security. Maybe they worried because our live voice is uniquely authentic. Of course that’s what makes Zello special.

Live public and private voice channels remain popular and we’ll keep trying new ideas to make Zello a better place to keep and make friends.

With the announcement of the new iMessage voice messaging feature in iOS8, you may ask yourself, “why should I use Zello now that I can send voice messages from my iPhone? You may also wonder how Zello is different from all those other voice messaging apps out there, such as Whatsapp, WeChat, Viber, etc. Simply put, Zello is a true push-to-talk (PTT) walkie-talkie app, while other apps use recorded messages.

Read on to learn why this matters and other reasons for using Zello for voice communications instead of iMessage or other apps with voice messaging:

Zello is live. Apps with voice messaging use recorded audio. Since Zello uses live streaming audio, it’s much faster. Instead of you having to record a message, save it, send it, and then wait for a response, Zello is real-time. Lag is virtually nonexistent between the time you speak and when the message is heard. This is extremely important in situations when time is critical, and the message needs to be heard immediately.

Zello runs across multiple platforms, on either Wi-Fi or data, on any carrier. With iMessage, you can’t talk to your friends who have Android, Blackberry, or Windows Phone. You can only talk to other iOS8 users.

On iMessage, there is no history, share message, or channel feature. There is no way to play back a history of your iMessages or share them with other users. Zello is the only PTT app that offers a channel feature where you can talk to and meet new people across the world.

Zello sound quality is superior. Zello uses Codec Opus. Compare the sound quality with recorded messaging apps, and you will hear the difference.

Zello is free, with no gimmicks or spam. Zello will never charge you, post ads, or spam you and your friends.

Zello minimizes disruptions in your busy life. Zello offers status and notification settings you can customize to avoid being disturbed, and missed messages can be saved to history.

Zello@Work is the better alternative to traditional push-to-talk (PTT) 2-way radios because it:

– Is less expensive

– Is easy to implement

– Allows flexibility

– Offers more features such as history and presence/status

– Has unlimited range

– Offers better voice quality

– Supports multiple channels simultaneously

– Reduces the need to carry multiple devices.

If you are using 2-way radios for your business or organization, you have to consider several important factors. By law, businesses and public entities such as hospitals or first responders cannot use “off-the-shelf” 2-way radios designed for consumer use (FRS or GMRS types). Instead, you must use commercial grade Land Mobile Radios (LMRs) and file for a FCC license to use them or pay a license holder. Filling out the paperwork can be tedious, and approval takes many months. Companies discovered using 2-way radios without a license can expect to pay a hefty fine to the FCC.

In addition to the strict licensing requirements, commercial grade 2-way radios can cost anywhere from $150 to $3000 each, depending on the range and features you need. Multiply the cost of the units with licensing fees of $260 per unit, and you can easily see how expensive it can become, especially as your organization or business grows.

Zello@Work offers you cost effective and flexible options by allowing you to mix and match devices (including smartphones, tablets, PCs, rugged mobile devices, and 2-way radios). You can use Zello@Work with either a carrier, Wi-Fi-only, or combination Wi-Fi/carrier solution. Zello@Work is the perfect solution for companies adopting a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) environment, where employees can use their own personal devices for work. With Zello, instead of carrying 2 devices, you will only need 1 device to handle all your communications, work, and personal needs.

Zello@Work also has features not available on 2-way radios such as message history, user and group management tools, unlimited channels and groups, group sizes of up to 1000, import and export functions, and alerts with messaging. With Zello@Work, you are not tied to a contract or subject to cancellation fees. You can cancel at any time, and you will be refunded for any prepaid subscriptions on a pro-rated basis.

Just like a 2-way radio or LMR, Zello@Work offers real-time PTT communications. But unlike 2-way radios, Zello doesn’t have any range limits. You can also extend the range of your existing 2-way radios by linking them to Zello@Work via a LMR gateway. Adding a gateway only costs an additional $1 per day. Growing your two-way radio system with Zello@Work can be done gradually without disrupting the current system.

Discover how Zello@Work can help your business by signing up for a free 5-user trial network today at http://zello.com/work. Paid subscriptions start at just $6/user/month. Also ask about our volume and prepaid annual discounts by emailing sales@zello.com.

You’ve probably seen The Survival Podcast Network (TSPN) channel on the Trending list many times. The name and channel picture (shown above) may be somewhat intimidating to newcomers. But as one of Zello’s oldest, best-managed, and popular channels with over 15,000 members, we wanted to find out exactly what goes on in there. As for the BACON…well, that’s their adopted mascot (ask them about it).

The TSPN channel is an offshoot of The Survival Podcast. The audio show has more than 100,000 daily listeners and is hosted by its creator, Jack Spirko. The show themes of the podcast are self-sufficiency, modern survival strategies, liberty, and free-thinking. The TSP podcast can be listened to 5 days a week at www.TheSurvivalPodcast.com.

The TSPN channel was originally suggested to Spirko in April 2012 by a Zello fan who wanted a chat forum where podcast listeners could talk to each other. Since the creation of the TSPN Zello channel by Spirko, many podcast listeners and Zello users with similar interests have joined to build knowledge, share experiences, and create awareness for the podcast.

Topics can be as diverse as the people. Discussions often cover topics such as farming or gardening, hunting, fishing, survival techniques, alternative medicine, politics, pets, cooking, and hobbies, but can be about anything related to improving quality of life. The channel is not about becoming a “doomsday prepper” (preparing for the end of the world from a single catastrophic event). Instead, the TSPN Zello channel focuses on solutions for improving life by taking personal responsibility and making good choices for you and your family.

The TSPN channel encourages new listeners to participate in conversations and not just “lurk”. As one of the lead mods (paprepper) explains, “the podcast is for listeners, the website is for readers and writers, and Zello is for talkers.” So, if you like to talk to people who are knowledgeable, friendly, and fun, and you are willing to try out the free audio podcast, this is the channel for you. If you like to learn how to do things, whether to save money or just be more self-sufficient, this is the channel for you.

The TSPN channel also has a Zello fan site www.TSPNZello.com where users can keep up-to-date on events inside and outside of Zello. Members are encouraged to meet face-to-face, and dozens of meet-ups have been held over the years. These meetings strengthen friendships that start in the channel. For example, in July 2014, the largest Zello meet-up occurred when about 30 TSPN channel members and their families met up on Elisha’s Spring Farm, a permaculture farm in Walton, WV. From the video, it looks like they worked hard and played hard! PermaEthos/Zello meet-up. If you’d like to join in the fun, try out the The Survival Podcast program at www.TheSurvivalPodcast.com and then visit their TSPN Zello channel at http://www.zello.com/channels/k/dZ8O.